The ladies at church were gathering for an instructional Saturday morning. When I found out that the subject was going to be “milling your own flour” I was astonished—I pictured women in ankle-length dresses turning a stone! “What? People do that?” I thought. That Saturday morning changed my life, because it changed my health and the health of my family. It also started us on this journey to whole, real food and to preparedness.
My pastor’s wife was as passionate about her bread then as she is now. So when I started learning how to bake and my bread was, well, less than yummy, she took me in and mentored me through the learning. I want to introduce you to her now. Robbin is an amazing lady; she is one of the busiest people I know, and yet she has prioritized her family’s health in such a way that she never succumbs to store-bought convenience. She is extremely busy, and yet she never misses an opportunity to bring other ladies along in their journey to create this fresh, real food for their own families.
We asked Robbin some of the most frequently asked questions that we get through email and at the expos.
I grew up eating cheap, soft white bread. Is it me, or is home-milled flour a completely different flavor? Will I ever get used to that?
Robbin: Yes, it does have a different flavor. About three months ago two different ladies told me their husbands and their children would not even touch wheat bread (from the store). Now that the ladies are milling their own wheat, their husbands only want this delicious freshly milled bread. And get this; the kids have thanked me for teaching this to their moms.
I’m really confused by the different wheat names. What wheat do I use when?
Robbin: When the recipe calls for pastry flour, or when I don’t use yeast, I use soft white wheat.
Robbin: Hard white wheat and hard red wheat are interchangeable, just a taste preference.
My favorite is hard red wheat for my bread (w/ yeast).
When I make banana bread and muffins I use soft white. For pancakes and scones I use various grains like Kamut, Barley, Spelt and brown rice.
Chaya: Hard wheats = yeast breads, soft=non-yeast breads (Cream of Tartar, whipped eggs, baking powder, baking soda)
Will home-milled flour work for everything I want to cook? It seems so heavy.
Robbin: Honestly- no, not everything- As of yet, I have not had success with making sourdough bread with this wheat. When I did make it, the best I could do was 2/3 store bought bread flour & 1/3 freshly milled wheat.
This past December I used the freshly milled soft wheat for our ginger bread house, and it was a little disappointing. The bread stuck in the stoneware. It just wasn’t as good as the “unhealthy” bread.
Chaya: I agree—I have not been able to duplicate croissants or angel food cake with wheat. You can find some creative alternatives if you experiment with things like potato starch and oat flour for some of those specialty products. But for everything else—yes!
What do they mean by “quick bread”?
Robbin: Simply, “no yeast” (or no rise time.) This makes me think of the Matzo we use for communion. When the Israelites had to make bread in a hurry to leave for the Passover, they made “quick bread” without yeast. Examples of this would be banana bread, apple bread and muffins.
This just made me think about the crackers I made in December – I made barley crackers that were delicious. They could be a quick bread! One of my favorite cookbooks is King Arthur’s Whole Grain Baking. The cracker recipe came from there. (The carrot cake recipe is amazing!)
I’ve tried milling my own flour and my bread came out really hard! What could be the problem?
Robbin: Too much flour!
Chaya: This is really common in the kneading stage; I recommending oiling your hands before you knead and resist the urge to keep adding and adding flour!
What is your favorite type of baking—is it bread or desserts?
Robbin: Oh my – that is hard! I guess now I must say bread.
Chaya: Yes, it’s my favorite type of baking too…but the desserts are my favorite type of eating!
My bread loaf was raw in the middle and burnt on top! Help!
Robbin:I am spoiled. I have a really nice oven with a bread setting on it. But check the temperature of your oven, Even though your dial says 350 – it may be higher. (I own an oven thermometer.)
I always cover bread with tinfoil half way through baking. I have large size Norpro pans that make the perfect size bread, and cook evenly.
Chaya: I love those Norpro pans. They cook evenly and it’s easy to get the bread out of them! I started using them way back when you taught me how to bake bread. In a pinch, I’ve used stoneware and glass pans and I’m never as happy with the results. I use all three sizes–I try to always make a smaller loaf so that we have a loaf to give away.
They say I should use my flour within 2 hours of milling it. I like to have some flour in the kitchen for quick last minute recipes, like if I want to bread something. Does this mean I have to pull out my mill every time?
Robbin: I try to put in in the freezer within a few minutes of milling to keep the health benefits. I mill my wheat and put it in a Ziploc brand freezer bag. I use a sharpie to label the flour.
I always have several types of milled flour on hand. That is the only way I’ve been able to cook / bake this way for my family while working full time, and going to college part-time.
How do I know if I have kneaded my bread too long? Not long enough?
Robbin: This might sound silly – But I can just tell by looking at it. I would be more concerned for not kneading enough. Does it look “stringy?” Because it should be stringy, and slight bit sticky; not dry.
Chaya: Over-kneading is generally only a concern if you’re using an electric mixer. If you are kneading by hand, there is little risk of that! Sometimes the ingredients you choose will change the texture (i.e., adding lecithin makes it stickier), so it will be something you learn with practice.
Making home-made bread seems like a hassle when so many store labels say “whole grain” these days! Is there a difference?
Robbin: Great Question! There is a huge difference!
Our government allows companies to say whole grain if a very small percentage of the product is whole grain. I would like to recommend an article by Sue Becker on this topic.
Here is a quote from her article “Bulk up on Fiber”
“Do not be fooled by store bought “wheat” breads, dark in color that appear to be whole grain. Read the label! It is very difficult, however, if not impossible to buy commercially prepared bread or flour that is not stripped of its fiber and therefor[e] will not give the same beneficial effects as bread made from grains you have milled yourself. Even flour labeled “whole wheat” has had some of the bran and nearly all of the oil-containing germ removed to prevent spoilage.”
Chaya: If you would like to read more about the benefits of whole grain and the differences between real whole grain and what they’re selling you at the grocery store, be sure to read THIS BLOG.
Did you personally experience any changes in your family’s health when you started making your own breads?
Robbin: My husband’s cholesterol went down shortly after we made this change. My eczema greatly improved
And I now have normal bowel habits, as opposed to once every few days…) This is the case with my one year old granddaughter too. My daughter feeds her the bread daily to help regulate her. If she doesn’t eat the bread she gets constipated.
Chaya: I remember watching your family’s health improvements, which was part of my motivation! We all experienced some drastic changes in our digestion, in our energy levels, and in the elimination of severe allergies! Always borderline-hypoglycemic, my sugar levels evened out. My husband saw warts literally disappear, and my toddler son (who refused to potty train) potty trained himself completely the day after we switched to this bread. Coincidence? I was convinced that his inability to potty train was because of poor digestion and bowel habits.
What’s the trick to doing this every week? My life seems so busy—how am I going to add this in?
Robbin: I usually do this every other Saturday or every 3rd Saturday. I make 3 or 4 loaves of bread each time I make it. After the bread has completely cooled, I slice it put it in freezer bags. I separate the large loaves into two bags. I get loaves out as needed and our bread is always fresh. You can’t tell it’s frozen.
Chaya: Great tip! Not everyone can bake fresh bread weekly, which is just the reality. But if you schedule it on the calendar and use the freezer method, your family will get the benefit of fresh bread without such a time commitment! Personally, I bake 3 loaves every week because my growing family eats that much. I leave one loaf out immediately and put the other 2 in the freezer. If I have extra left by the next bread baking day, I bake the same amount for either charity or for future use.
How long will it take to get the hang of making homemade bread? Am I doomed to baking paper-weights?
Robbin: When I made paperweights I threw it in the trash. This only happened one time. Give yourself a few tries.
Chaya: (Laughing) I made paper weights a couple of times! But making bread with you ended my paperweight production completely. If anyone else is having this problem, find someone who is doing this and ask to join in! Also, be sure to give yourself some grace. It can take awhile to get the bread exactly how you like it, but it will happen!
I’ve tried milling flour but I find that in a pinch I keep resorting to the flours and baking mixes on my shelf for convenience. How did you overcome this and commit to purely milled flour?
Robbin: That’s easy! I don’t buy flour! That is why I didn’t have a wonderful gingerbread house this year.
I have 15 large buckets of grain in my garage, I am not buying flour. Nor do I buy white sugar or brown sugar. I have honey granules and succulent.
Chaya: Robbin, the best advice you gave to me was to “Throw it all away! If you don’t, you’ll cheat!” I cheated once or twice and then took your advice. It was like jumping out of the nest for me.
Thank you, Robbin, for helping us all out in this quick Q & A about bread baking. You’ve encouraged many ladies to begin this beautiful act of love through the years. May your bread basket overflow!
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